Tom Coughlin remembers coaching son through 9/11

Tim Coughlin had just finished walking down 60 floors of Two World Trade on September 11, 2001 when he took a phone call from his father Tom.

“I know my father. I know the inflection in his voice,” Tim Coughlin told Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports. “I know when he’s dead serious, which is 92 percent of the time. His message was, ‘Do what you have to do to get away from that building as soon as possible.’

“It was really helpful to have my dad on the phone. To be able to talk with him, as it was all happening, it was the greatest sense of calm.”

The details are harrowing, especially when a security guard told Tim and others on the 44th floor to stay in the building because it was safe. Thankfully, Tim didn’t listen. The second tower was hit five minutes later.

The events of that day has helped to inform Tom Coughlin’s decade since. Coughlin gives back as much as any coach in the league, but doesn’t seek attention for it.

“He makes sure the police officers and the firefighters know how much they mean to him, how much he appreciates our service people,” Tim Coughlin said.

That appreciation will surely hit close to home Sunday when Coughlin remembers that day a decade ago, and thinks how close he was to losing his son.

Maybe someone could send this article to Plax. He might have time to read it between his whining rants about those who (god forbid!) hold him accountable for his actions.

CKL says:Sep 10, 2011 2:49 PM

See Plax, this is what happens when you actually listen to your HC! You stay alive and stuff.

phlyeagles20 says:Sep 10, 2011 2:50 PM

As an Eagles fan, I hate the Giants with every ounce of blood in me. I’ve read a lot about what Coughlin has done regarding 9-11. Pretty classy. Still don’t like him (the coach) but you have to respect him( the man)

kd75 says:Sep 10, 2011 3:06 PM

So Coughlin simply told his son what to do instead of feeling sympathy for his well being as 3000 people died all around him? What a horrible person, right Plax?

I heard last week that Pat Kirwan’s (from SiriusXM’s Movin’ The Chains) son was in the towers and he left with his coworker and friend. A jumper landed on his friend while they stood so close to one another and, though he did not say, probably killed him.

Having talked to tons of people, having served in Kuwait in 2006, having talked to soldiers, sailors, and Marines who have lost someone because of this tragedy, I can feel in my heart the pain that lingers from those words long after I’ve heard them.

R.I.P. to all lives lost, especially those of my fallen military brothers and sisters.

Wow what an amazing story. I see coach in a completely different light now.

melikefootball says:Sep 10, 2011 4:38 PM

To bad Plax didn’t have any Tom’s wisdom rub off on him but what else do you expect. Some people don’t need to run their lips to be in the lime light, they know how to handle things with out all the media hype. Good for you Tom.

gcsuk says:Sep 10, 2011 4:45 PM

What kind of a lowlife does it take to “thumbs down” ANY of those comments (at least the first 7)?

I even gave a thumbs up to an Eagles fan. Never thought I would see the day, but some things just transcend football. This is one of those things.

What kind of a lowlife does it take to “thumbs down” ANY of those comments (at least the first 7)?

I even gave a thumbs up to an Eagles fan. Never thought I would see the day, but some things just transcend football. This is one of those things.

36

4

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Although I’m an Eagles fan,I thumbed up practically all of the pertinent comments. But, it’s obvious the thumbs down belong to Jets fans as it occurs at every mention of Plax.

zn0rseman says:Sep 10, 2011 11:09 PM

The saddest thing I think I remember seeing that day was the poor people being cooked in the top of the towers and being forced to jump to their deaths. How terrible to know that you’re not going to be able to raise your kids, know your grandkids, or see your loved ones again. I can’t even imagine the sadness they must have felt as they fell.

The most troubling thing I read was the security at the 2nd tower telling the people to go back to work because the “building is secure”. Uhm… what?!? I know hindsight is 20/20, but wasn’t the 1st tower secure at the time it was hit too? How many hundreds (maybe thousands?) of people died as a result of that terrible and short-sighted decision?

Coughlin was right to tell his son to leave… too bad those in charge of security didn’t have the same amount of common sense.

kenny1960 says:Sep 11, 2011 12:05 AM

Tom Coughlin did many wonderful things for the people of Jacksonville during his time here, But unlike most he never sought out media attention for his good deeds. He is a great man and I wish he was still our head coach as well. The best years this team had were under his leadership.

xtb3 says:Sep 11, 2011 12:53 AM

listen to these sorrowful feel good stories all this “they” were the iggest victims of 9/1″!

wakey! wakey! it was a vicious murderous attack by a racist death cult. has been going on for 1300 years and 10 years after that one incident – it continues today!

wferg1121 says:Sep 11, 2011 6:44 AM

I am hoping he gets the opportunity to finish his coaching career with the Giants.
Ernie Accorsi and Wellington Mara hired Tom because of the lack of discipline during the Fassel years. He brought that and as a result we got a Superbowl.
Some people don’t need to tell everyone that they are good person, they just are. Tom Coughlin is all class.

bigbluefan1 says:Sep 11, 2011 9:26 AM

Classy coach hence why he was hired by the Giants.

The Giants do not like aholes wearing the blue
thats why Shocky and plex got the boot and why tiki could not get a job parking cars.

I will always remember the game where the team covered the cost to broadcast live to a Base in the middle east and paid to fly some of the wives of the servicemen to the game.

Classy? Yeah right as much as Hanlon is “classy”! Last season this “classy Coughlin” said to his many seat license paying critics as the team missed the playoffs again as they only beat one single team last season who had an over .500 record – Coughlin said ” they can kiss my @-s”